1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates primarily to the field of energy storage and conversion. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved system and process for recovering energy from a compressed gas, such as compressed air.
2. Description of the Related Technology
The limited supply of fossil fuel that is available and ecological concerns such as the greenhouse effect have increased demand for ever more efficient and clean ways to produce, store and convert energy from one form to another.
The literature is replete with energy storage and conversion technology, ranging from systems from recovering ocean wave and tidal energy to photovoltaic technology, to systems for storing energy, using such mediums as compressed air that are stored in old salt mines, and recovering the stored energy for use during peak periods. In systems that store energy as compressed air, the energy is usually recovered by means of a turbine that is coupled to an electrical generator. While this is fine for some applications, such as for large storage systems that are owned by an electrical utility company, such systems are relatively expensive, complex and expensive to maintain.
A need exists for a system and process for recovering energy from a source such as compressed air that is simple, inexpensive, efficient and is suited for smaller residential and industrial applications.